Mounting for folding beds



Aug. 6, 1929.'

:1 E5. F1EEI\TFP4 MOUNTING FOR FOLDING BEDS Filed y 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet mm K dii \i M a n 634/6 INVENTOR.

w wd i ATTORNEYS Aug. 6, 1929. E. HEATH 1,723,649

MOUNTING FOR FOLDING BEDS Filed May 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 1 EEI:?I:T 1:LI:IIITI H 3 I M INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

EARL HEATH, F MARINETTE, WISCONSIN.

MOUNTING FOR FOLDING BEDS.

Application filed May 22, 1925. Serial No. 32,109.

This invention relates to improvements in mountings for disappearing beds and cots.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel and improved mounting adapted to enable a small bed or cot to be disposed out of sight in a closet or the like without requiring the use of any special built in doors, and without requiring any special fixtures except such as may be directly associated with an ordinary sash door. Beds or cots have heretofore been made to fold up vertically on special doors provided for the purpose. Mountings have also been devised to attach to a door frame, or to a wall adjacent the door frame, for the purpose of enabling a bed or cot to be swung through a door opening and placed within a closet. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a very simple form of mounting utilizing an ordinary sash door and adapted to permit of the use of the door in any normal manner while enabling an ordinary door to perform the further function of supporting one end of the cot frame.

Ordinary sash doors such as are used for closets and the like are frequently not made suiiiciently strong and are not provided with sufficiently strong hinges to support and enable the doors to function in carrying one end of a cot or bed frame. In accordance with the purposes of this invention, therefore, I prefer to add to an ordinary door a special fitting which is now in commen use as a door stop and which is adapted admirably to co-operate with other fixtures of this invention to carry out the general purposes aforesaid by relieving the door hinges of load when the bed is made ready for occupancy.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an association with an ordinary sash door and bed frame mounting which is adapted to permit of the use of a maximum size of bed for any given size of door. More specifically stated, it is my purpose to provide a construction such that the length of the bed will correspond substantially to the length of the door, and the width of the bed will correspond as nearly to the width of the door as may be accomplished while affording clearance for the swinging movement of the door with reference to the door frame, the bed being kept as close as possible to the door when folded in order to reduce the amount of clearance necesary.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel and simple means for latching a bed .frame in its operative and inoperative positions.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bed mounting embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the bed mounting shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure l: a detail view in the front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified bed mounting emhodying this invention.

Figure (3 is a front elevation of the parts in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view of a modified type of latch mechanism.

' Like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views.

The door 10 hingedly mounted bybutts 11 on the door frame 12 may comprise any standard type of door as above stated. It is unnecessary to provide a special door for the purposes of this invention. I11 order to allow door 10 to swing freely with the bed or cot frame thereupon, and in order, nevertheless, to relieve hinges ll of the weight of an occupant, I prefer to provide door 10 with a device which has lIGl'OhCIIEOI'B been used as a door stop and which comprises a cylinder or barrel 13 secured to the bottom of the door and providing a guideway for a plunger 14; which may be depressed by the operators foot against the pressure of a concealed spring into contact with the floor. Detent plate 15 hinged to the fitting is apertured to receive the post or shaft 14 and is normally mounted and slightly elevated at the angles indicated in Figures 1 and 5. When the rod 14". is depressed into contact with the floor 16, the apertured plate 15 binds the rod and prevents the spring from returning it. A slight downward pressure on plate 15 releases the rod and permits it to be thrust upwardly by the concealed spring.

WVhile these devices are well known, I have described their mode of operation in some detail for the reason that as a part of the bed mounting forming the subject matter of the present invention, this device performs a new function in that it actually supports .light provided only that the door has sufficient strength to carry the bed mechanism in its inoperative or folded position. In assoeiation with a door such as that above described, the detent plate device may, of course, be omitted provided that the door and its hinges have adequate strength to carrythe load imposed thereon when the cot is occupied.

In association with the specially fitted door above described, I may employ different types of carriers for the bed frame. Two typical carriers are illustrated herewith. The first of these devices is shown on Sheet 1 of the drawings and comprises a pair of brackets 20, secured to the lower portions of the inside of the door adjacent the vertical margin thereof and each comprising a'vertical guideway 21. Tubular slides 22 are reciprocable on guideways 21 between the position indicated in Figure 1 in full and dotted lines respectively. One corner of the bed frame 23 is hinged at 24 to each of the slides 22, the arrangement being such that when the slides 22'are in their lowered positions adjacent the bottom of the door the bed frame 23 may extend vertically therefrom as indicated in dotted lines, and may be engaged by the spring hook 24 adjacent the top of the door.

The guide members 21' are preferably notched at 25 in order that suitable latch bolts 26, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 3, may be engaged therewith. The latch bolts are horizontally reciprocable in slides 22 and may be retracted by. the arm 27 of a rock shaft 28 which extends transversely across the door between ears 29 mounted on the respective slides 22. The rock shaft may have integrally a handle 30. It will be obvious that when this handle is oscillated counter clock wise as viewed in Figure 1, the direction of oscillation of the arms 27 will be such as to retract both of the latch bolts 26 to release the slides for reciprocation from their elevated positions to. their lowered positions Through this arrangement releasable means are provided for supporting the head of the bed frame 23 in a position for use. The foot of the bed frame may be supported in any desired man ner, such for example as the folding legs 32.

In order that the latch mechanism just -described need not carry the entire weight of the head portion of the bed frame and its occupant, and in order, furthermore, to

facilitate the manipulation of the bed frame between its folded and open positions, I prefer to use links 35 pivotally fastened by special fittings 36 to an intermediate portion and fulcrumed at 37 to the frame 23. The length of links 35 is so chosen with reference to the location of fittings 36 and pivot 37 on the bed frame that as the foot of the bed is swung upwardly the head will swing downwardly until the bed stands vertical and parallel to the door and closely adjacent thereto. This construction greatly facilitates the raising of the bed frame since a portion of the weight of the frame is used as a counter balance to assist in elevating the foot of the bed. The links ensure, furthermore, that the movement will be a. smooth and continuous one throughout the operation.

hen the cot is in its elevated position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the head 14 may be released by tripping the plate 15 and thereupon the door 10 is free to swing to a closed position carrying with it the upwardly folded bed. It will be obvious that the mechanism employed for carrying the bed frame from the door is such that the bed frame is maintained closely adjacent the door and consequently the bed may be almost the width of the door without interfering with the swinging of the door into its frame 12 in closing.

W'hen the bed is to be brought into a. position for use the converse of the operations above described is followed. The door 10 is opened and the rod 14 is depressed and is automatically engaged in, its depressed position by the plate 15 to transmit to the floor any weight imposed on the free margin 17 of the door. 'lhereupon the spring latch 24 is released and the bed frame is swung downwardly toward the horizontal position in which it is illustrated in full lines in Figures 1 and 2. If the links 35 are used the downward movement of the foot of the bed will result in lifting the head of the bed frame until the bolt 26 reaches and engages notches 25 in the upper slide portion of brackets 20. The bed frame. is now in a position for occupancy and is securely mounted upon the swinging legs 32 at its foot and upon the duly supported door 10 at its head.

In the modified device shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings, brackets 20' are used which are similar to brackets 20 which are provided with suitable guideway portions 21. Upon these operate the slides 22' which are reciprocable between the full and dotted line position shown in Figure 5. Each of the slides 22 laterally adjacent the side of the bed frame 23 is pivotally connected therewith by means of a bolt 24'. The links 35' take the form of braces in this construction and are disposed beneath the bed frame to all) which they are pivoted at 37. At their other ends, the links are pivoted to the door by means of arms 36 carried by the lower ends of the brackets 20. \Vhere this arrangement is employed, a downward movement of the bed about its fulcrum at 37 on braces 35" will result in a corresponding (lOWl1\ a-rd movement of slides 22 which will result in causing the braces 35 to oscillate about their pivotal connections with arms 36.

It is preferable to use some sort of latch mechanism for securing the head of the bed in position for use. For this purpose the latch mechanism above described with. referencc to Figure 1 construction. may be used. If desired, either of the two specific types of bed frame hanger mechanisms may be fitted with. the latch above shown in detail in Figure 7. This latch includes a case ll) applied to the inside of the end rail 41 of the bed frame. lVithin this case there is fulcrumed at 42 an oscillatory latch member 43 which includes a bolt portion 44 engageable in aperture 45 of plate 46 which fa."- tened cent-rally to the door 10. A pin 4-7 on the oscillatory member 43 guides the compression spring housed within case 40. The member 43 may be retracted against the compression of spring 18 by pulling the cord 50 connected therewith and extending preferably to the foot of the bed. The curved upper surface 49 of the bolt portion tt of oscillatory member 43 operates to strike plate L6 and to retract the bolt slightly as the head of the bed moves to its ultimate position. hen the bed is horizontal, the spring 48 will automatically press bolt i linto aperture 45 of the plate to lock the braces, and the bed can be stored away only after the bolt 4L4 is withdrawn from aperture 4:5, as by means of cord 50. It is convenient to be able to operate this latch from the foot of the bed which is the position usually occupied by the person engaged in raising the bed for storing it.

It will be noted that both of the specific devices herein disclosed for attaching the bed frame to the door provide for lowering the head of the bed frame almost to the bottom of the door when the foot of tl o bed frame is elevated to a position substantially at the height of the top of the door. This insures that the bed frame may be substantially co-exteusive in length with the door. Furthermore, each of the specific devices herein disclosed is so organized as to bring the frame closely adjacent to the door when it is parallel thereto. Such an arrangement permits of the use of a maximum width of bed as compared with the width of the door upon which it is to be mounted. Further more, in each of the specific devices aforesaid, means is provided for elevating the head of the bed to the desired position at the same time that the foot is being elevated. The links or braces 35 and 35' greatly facilitate the manipulation of the bed to and from its operative position.

The latch mechanisms herein disclosed for maintaining the head of the bed in its operative position are each of them adapted for ready operation and, while they are not ordinarily subjected to much load, nevertheless, they are des-xirable in that they would p i event the folding up of the bed if at any time a great load were imposed on that portion of the bed between the door and the fulcrum at 37 about which the bed oscillates.

The door positioning device of the peculiar type herein disclosed is particularly serviceable in that it not only performs the ordinary function of securing the door against swinging movement about its hinges, but also performs the additional. function of transmitting to the floor that portion of the entire weight which would otherwise be imposed. on the free swinging outer margin 17 of the door and might tend to overload hinges 11.

I claim:

1. In a combination door and a bed frame, a pair of vertically spaced brackets secured to said door, a slide rod extending between said brackets and secured thereto, a slide encircling said rod and longitudinal ly 1novable thereon, said. slide being pivotally connected with one end of said bed. frame, and a link pivot-ally connected with the lower 1 racket and with an ii'itermcdiate portion of said bed frame.

2. In combination, a bed frame, a support, a pair of vertically spaced brackets connected to said support, a slide rod extending between said brackets and connected thereto, a member slidably mounted on said rod, said member being pivotally connected to one 'end of said bed frame, and a link pivotally connected. with the intermediate portion of said bed frame and the lower bracket.

EARL HEATH. 

